MGR Chennai Central–Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express

MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Junction Vande Bharat Express
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express, in Tamil Nadu on 8 April 2023.
Overview
Service type	Vande Bharat Express
Locale	Tamil Nadu
First service	8 April 2023 (Inaugural run) 9 April 2023;2 years ago (2023-04-09) (Commercial run)
Current operator(s)	Southern Railways (SR)
Route
Termini	MGR Chennai Central (MAS) Coimbatore Junction (CBE)
Stops	3
Distance travelled	495 km (308 mi)
Average journey time	05 hrs 50 mins
Service frequency	Six days a week [a]
Train number(s)	20643 / 20644
Line(s) used	MGR Chennai Central - SBC Line (till Jolarpettai Jn) Jolarpettai - Coimbatore Line
On-board services
Class(es)	AC Chair Car, AC Executive Chair Car
Seating arrangements	Airline style Rotatable seats
Sleeping arrangements	No
Catering facilities	On-board catering
Observation facilities	Large windows in all coaches
Entertainment facilities	On-board WiFi Infotainment System Electric outlets Reading light Seat Pockets Bottle Holder Tray Table
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks
Other facilities	Kavach
Technical
Rolling stock	Mini Vande Bharat 2.0
Track gauge	Indian gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead line
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph) (Avg.)
Average length	192 metres (630 ft) (08 coaches)
Track owner(s)	Indian Railways
Rake maintenance	Coimbatore Jn
Route map Legend 20643 ↓ MGR Chennai Central Salem Junction Erode Junction Tiruppur 20644 ↑ Coimbatore Junction

The 20643/20644 MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express is India's 13th Vande Bharat Express train, connecting the city of Chennai with Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Overview

This train is operated by Indian Railways, connecting MGR Chennai Central, Salem Jn, Erode Jn, Tiruppur and Coimbatore Jn. It is currently operated with train numbers 20643/20644 on 6 days a week basis. ^[4] This train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 April 2023. ^[5]

Rakes

It is the eleventh 2nd Generation and the second Mini Vande Bharat 2.0 Express train ^{[ broken anchor ]} manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Perambur, Chennai under the Make in India initiative. ^[6]

Service

The 20643/20644 MGR Chennai Ctrl - Coimbatore Jn Vande Bharat Express operates six days a week except Wednesdays, covering a distance of 495 km (308 mi) in a travel time of 6 hours with an average speed of 82 km/h (51 mph). The service has 3 intermediate stops. The Maximum Permissible Speed is 130 km/h (81 mph).

MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express (20643) ^[7]

Station	Station Code	Arrival	Departure	Halt (min)	Distance (km)	Day
MGR Chennai Ctrl	MAS	—	14:15	—	—	1
Salem Jn	SA	17:43	17:45	2	334.5	1
Erode Jn	ED	18:37	18:40	3	394.2	1
Tiruppur	TUP	19:18	19:20	2	444.5	1
Coimbatore Jn	CBE	20:15	—	—	495.0	1

Coimbatore - MGR Chennai Central Vande Bharat Express (20644) ^[8]

Station	Station Code	Arrival	Departure	Halt (min)	Distance (km)	Day
Coimbatore Jn	CBE	—	06:00	—	—	1
Tiruppur	TUP	06:33	06:35	2	50.5	1
Erode Jn	ED	07:12	07:15	3	100.8	1
Salem Jn	SA	08:03	08:05	2	160.5	1
MGR Chennai Ctrl	MAS	11:50	—	—	495.0	1

See also

• Vande Bharat Express
• Tejas Express
• Gatimaan Express
• Chennai Central railway station
• Coimbatore Junction railway station

Notes

1. Except Wednesdays

References

1. "Vande Bharat Express Chennai to Coimbatore: PM Modi to flag-off train on April 8". Zee Business. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
2. "Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express To Be Flagged Off On April 8 | What To Expect". TimesNow. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
3. "Overwhelming response to Coimbatore-Chennai Vande Bharat express". The Hindu. 7 April 2023. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
4. "PM Narendra Modi To Inaugurate Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express On April 8". Zee News. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
5. "Vande Bharat Express from Coimbatore to Chennai set to complete 200 days on October 25". The Hindu. 21 October 2023. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 22 October 2023.
6. "Frontline railway staff from other states to speak Tamil soon". The New Indian Express. 4 February 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
7. "(20643) MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express Live Running Status". RailRadar. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
8. "(20644) Coimbatore - MGR Chennai Central Vande Bharat Express Live Running Status". RailRadar. Retrieved 31 August 2025.